Find care now
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911 or seek care at an emergency room.
In 2020, cancer diagnoses plummeted by 50%, as many people delayed routine physicals and cancer screenings that have been proven to save lives, according to the National Cancer Institute. For Steffanie Sheppard, a routine mammogram saved her life and she hopes her story will encourage others to stop delaying these life-saving screenings.
“It was truly gratifying to be able to induce her remission without the toxicity of traditional chemotherapy,” said Steffanie’s oncologist Eric Rubenstein, MD, medical director of cancer services at MedStar Southern Maryland. “I also felt grateful to have had the technology to diagnose her cancer remotely and to have the resources of the MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute to arrange care with the clinicians from all the disciplines needed to direct her treatment in the best possible way. Most importantly, I felt fortunate to be graced by Steffanie’s lively, transparent, and joyful spirit. Her attitude and outlook definitely helped us to succeed.”
Now, Steffanie’s encouraging all women to not delay their regular breast cancer screenings and check-ups. “It’s really important that women take care of their bodies and know the signs and symptoms of their bodies. When they don’t have the answers, go get the answers.”
Regular cancer screenings increase your chance of early detection and a cure.
Cancer screenings are critical to finding and diagnosing cancer early when it is more easily treated. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, many people canceled or delayed scheduling important screenings for breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, and others. As a result, oncologists predict an increase in mortality rates from cancer in the next decade, as many people who have cancer may not be diagnosed until a later stage when it’s harder to treat and less likely to be cured.
During a cancer screening, a doctor uses advanced imaging to evaluate certain parts of the body. A mammogram, for example, takes a detailed X-ray image of the breasts, allowing cancer experts to detect breast cancer long before it can be felt. This early detection is your best chance of survival if you are diagnosed with breast cancer.
Similarly, lung cancer screening tests can find lung nodules before lung cancer symptoms appear. While lung nodules are often harmless, they can grow into lung cancer. If they’re found during a screening, your doctor will recommend follow-up testing and surveillance to ensure they don’t develop into cancer. If they do, you can rest assured that you’ll have more treatment options than if you waited to seek a lung cancer diagnosis until after it spread to other parts of the body. In fact, people who are diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer experience a 27 to 61 percent five-year survival rate, depending on the type of lung cancer. In contrast, once lung cancer has spread to both lungs or surrounding organs in later stages, the five-year survival rate is only 3 to 6 percent, according to the American Cancer Society.
During a colonoscopy, doctors use a flexible tube attached to a small camera to search for and remove abnormal growths in the colon called polyps. Polyps aren’t cancerous but when left in the colon, some types of polyps can develop into cancerous tumors. Removing any polyps during a screening before they have a chance to turn into cancer eliminates your risk of colon cancer. Because doctors can remove any signs of polyps during the screening test, you can leave the appointment reassured that you won’t have to come back for an additional procedure until your next screening.
When to start cancer screenings.
It’s important to start cancer screenings early before you notice any signs or symptoms of cancer. Your primary care provider can recommend when to start certain types of screenings, depending on your risk factors or family history. If you don’t meet screening criteria, it’s important to continue getting regular physical exams from your primary care provider, even during the pandemic.
Many screenings are free or low-cost and only take minutes of your time. That’s time well spent if it means adding decades back to your life. Just ask Steffanie.
